Test system for a pressure control equipment system

ABSTRACT

A test system for a pressure control equipment (PCE) stack includes a pump for directing fluid into the PCE stack, a drive for operating the pump to control fluid flow into the PCE stack, and a controller communicatively coupled to the drive and a sensor that transmits sensor data indicative of pressure within the PCE stack. The controller instructs the drive to cause the pump to direct fluid into the PCE stack until the sensor data indicates that the pressure within the PCE stack has reached a threshold pressure, blocks fluid flow into and out of the PCE stack upon receiving sensor data indicating the pressure within the PCE stack has reached the threshold pressure, monitors the pressure within the PCE stack over a time interval, and determines a condition of the PCE stack based on a change in the pressure within the PCE stack during the time interval.

BACKGROUND

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects ofart that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure,which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed tobe helpful in providing the reader with background information tofacilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, it should be noted that these statements are tobe read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Natural resources, such as oil and gas, are used as fuel to powervehicles, heat homes, and generate electricity, in addition to a myriadof other uses. Once a desired natural resource is discovered below thesurface of the earth, mineral extraction systems are often employed toaccess and extract the resource. These mineral extraction systems may belocated onshore or offshore depending on the location of the desirednatural resource. Such mineral extraction systems generally include awellhead assembly through which the desired natural resource isextracted via a well. The mineral extraction systems may also includepressure control equipment configured to carry out interventionoperations to inspect or to service the well, for example. The pressurecontrol equipment may be mounted above the wellhead assembly to protectother surface equipment from surges in pressure within the well or tocarry out other supportive functions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure willbecome better understood when the following detailed description is readwith reference to the accompanying figures in which like charactersrepresent like parts throughout the figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system having a pressure controlequipment (PCE) stack, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the PCE stack of FIG. 1, in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a PCE test system thatmay be used to test the PCE stack of FIGS. 1 and 2, in accordance withan embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a hydraulic systemthat may be used by the PCE test system of the system of FIG. 3 to testthe PCE stack of FIGS. 1 and 2, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method or process foroperating the PCE test systems of FIGS. 3 and 4 to test the PCE stack ofFIGS. 1 and 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the presentdisclosure; and

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method or process forenabling the PCE test systems of FIGS. 3 and 4 to conduct an initialtest of the PCE stack of FIGS. 1 and 2, in accordance with an embodimentof the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed below. These described embodiments are only exemplary of thepresent disclosure. Additionally, in an effort to provide a concisedescription of these exemplary embodiments, all features of an actualimplementation may not be described in the specification. It should benoted that in the development of any such actual implementation, as inany engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specificdecisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, suchas compliance with system-related and business-related constraints,which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it shouldbe noted that such a development effort might be complex and timeconsuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design,fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having thebenefit of this disclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments, the articles “a,”“an,” “the,” “said,” and the like, are intended to mean that there areone or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,”“having,” and the like are intended to be inclusive and mean that theremay be additional elements other than the listed elements. The use of“top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” and variations of these terms is madefor convenience, but does not require any particular orientation of thecomponents relative to some fixed reference, such as the direction ofgravity. The term “fluid” encompasses liquids, gases, vapors, andcombinations thereof. Numerical terms, such as “first,” “second,” and“third” are used to distinguish components to facilitate discussion, andit should be noted that the numerical terms may be used differently orassigned to different elements in the claims.

The present embodiments generally relate to a test system for a pressurecontrol equipment (PCE) stack for a mineral extraction system (e.g., adrilling system, a production system). The PCE stack may be coupled toand/or positioned vertically above a wellhead during variousintervention operations (e.g., inspection or service operations) of themineral extraction system, such as wireline operations in which a toolsupported on a wireline is lowered through the PCE stack to enableinspection and/or maintenance of a well. The test system describedherein is configured to test an operating parameter of the PCE stack.For instance, the test system may automatically test a section of thePCE stack to determine whether there are any irregularities (e.g.,holes, openings, slits, worn seal elements) in the structural geometryof the PCE stack that enable undesirable fluid flow out of the PCEstack. In some embodiments, the test system may direct a fluid into thesection of the PCE stack and monitor a fluid pressure within the sectionover time to determine whether the structural geometry of the PCE stackis enabling undesirable fluid flow out of the PCE stack. For example, anunexpected decrease in the fluid pressure within the section over timemay indicate that the structural geometry of the PCE stack is enablingundesirable fluid flow out of the PCE stack.

With the foregoing in mind, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of anembodiment of a system 10 (e.g., a mineral extraction system, a drillingsystem, a production system). The system 10 includes a wellhead 12(e.g., a wellhead assembly), which is coupled to a mineral deposit 14via a wellbore 16. The wellhead 12 may include any of a variety ofcomponents such as a spool, a hanger, and a “Christmas” tree. In theillustrated embodiment, a pressure control equipment (PCE) stack 18 iscoupled to the wellhead 12 to facilitate intervention operations, whichmay be carried out by lowering a conduit 20 (e.g., a communicationconduit, a wireline, a slickline, a spoolable rod, or a coiled tubing)and/or a tool 22 (e.g., configured to collect data about the mineraldeposit 14 and/or the wellbore 16) through a bore 24 defined by the PCEstack 18, through a bore 26 defined by the wellhead 12, and into thewellbore 16. As discussed in more detail below, the PCE stack 18 mayinclude a valve that seals about the conduit 20 to isolate theenvironment, as well as other surface equipment, from pressurized fluidwithin the wellbore 16.

FIG. 2 is a side view of an embodiment of the PCE stack 18 that may beused in the system 10 of FIG. 1. The PCE stack 18 may include one ormore components that enable the PCE stack 18 to seal about the conduit20. Thus, the PCE stack 18 may isolate the environment, as well as othersurface equipment, from pressurized fluid within the wellbore 16 (FIG.1).

In the illustrated embodiment, the PCE stack 18 includes a stuffing box30, a tool catcher 32, a lubricator section 34, a tool trap 36, a valvestack 38, and a connector 40 to couple the PCE stack 18 to the wellhead12 (FIG. 1) or other structure. These components are annular structuresstacked vertically with respect to one another (e.g., coaxial) to enablethe conduit 20 to extend through the PCE stack 18 (e.g., from a firstend 42 to a second end 44 of the PCE stack 18) into the wellhead 12. Asshown, the conduit 20 extends from the first end 42 of the PCE stack 18and over a sheave 46 to a winch 48, and rotation of the winch 48 (e.g.,of a drum or spool of the winch 48) raises and lowers the conduit 20with the tool 22 through the PCE stack 18.

It should be noted that the PCE stack 18 may include various othercomponents (e.g., a pump-in sub to enable fluid injection). Furthermore,it should be noted that the PCE stack 18 may include the valve stack 38mounted to the wellhead via the connector 40, but the PCE stack 18 maynot include one or more of the stuffing box 30, the tool catcher 32, thelubricator section 34, or the tool trap 36. For example, the PCE stack18 may include the valve stack 38 alone or in combination with any of avariety of other components.

In the illustrated PCE stack 18, the stuffing box 30 is configured toseal against the conduit 20 (e.g., to seal an annular space about theconduit 20) to block a flow of fluid from the bore 24 (FIG. 1)vertically above the stuffing box 30. The tool catcher 32 is configuredto engage or catch the tool 22 to block the tool 22 from being withdrawnvertically above the tool catcher 32 and/or to block the tool 22 fromfalling vertically into the wellbore 16. The lubricator section 34 mayinclude one or more annular pipes joined to one another, and thelubricator section 34 may support or surround the tool 22 while the tool22 is withdrawn from the wellbore 16. The tool trap 36 is configured toblock the tool 22 from falling vertically into the wellbore 16 while thetool trap 36 is in a closed position.

As shown, the valve stack 38 may include one or more valves 50 that areconfigured to seal the bore 24. In the illustrated embodiment, the valvestack 38 includes two valves 50 that are vertically stacked relative toone another, and each valve 50 includes a housing 52. However, the valvestack 38 may include any suitable number of valves 50 (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4,or more), and two or more valves 50 may share one housing 52. At leastone of the one or more valves 50 may include rams may be driven betweenan open position in which the rams do not seal the bore 24 and a closedposition in which the rams seal the bore 24 (e.g., seal about theconduit 20 to seal the bore 24), thereby blocking fluid flow through thebore 24.

The various components of the PCE stack 18 may be adjusted via actuators53 (e.g., electric, hydraulic, pneumatic actuators). For example, insome embodiments, the one or more valves 50 may be adjusted between theopen position and the closed position via actuators 53. To facilitatediscussion, the valve stack 38 and its components may be described withreference to a vertical axis or direction 54. Further, it should benoted that the techniques described herein may be applied to anysuitable embodiment of the PCE stack 18 or other PCE system or assembly,such as a different embodiment of the PCE stack 18 having a differentset of components as described above. Further still, as used herein, thePCE stack 18 refers to a portion of the PCE stack 18 (e.g., asubassembly of the PCE stack 18) and/or an entirety of the PCE stack 18.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a system 80 fortesting the PCE stack 18 (e.g., a part of the PCE stack 18 or anentirety of the PCE stack 18). The system 80 may include a PCE testsystem 82, which may be configured to test a structural geometry of atest section 84 of the PCE stack 18. By way of example, the test section84 may include a portion of the PCE stack 18 between the stuffing box 30and the valve stack 38 with reference to FIG. 2 or any other suitablepart of the PCE stack 18 in which fluid may be directed and contained(e.g., isolated, held under pressure). In some embodiments, the PCE testsystem 82 may not be directly coupled to the wellbore to which the PCEstack 18 is coupled. For instance, the PCE test system 82 may include askid, an enclosure, and the like, that is physically separate from thePCE stack 18 (e.g., more than 3 meters or 10 feet away), and conduits(e.g., flexible hoses) may fluidly couple the PCE test system 82 to thePCE stack 18. Indeed, the PCE test system 82 may include a variety ofother components (e.g., handtools, transportation equipment) that maynot be used for directly testing the PCE stack 18. In some embodiments,the PCE test system 82 may utilize a liquid, rather than compressed airor gas, to test the PCE stack 18. In additional or alternativeembodiments, the PCE test system 82 may use compressed air or gas (e.g.,nitrogen), to test the PCE stack 18.

In the illustrated embodiment, the PCE test system 82 includes ajunction box or enclosure 86 that includes various components to enabletesting of the PCE stack 18. The junction box 86 may include a controlsystem 88 (e.g., a programmable logic controller) configured to operatethe PCE test system 82 and to control the test of the PCE stack 18. Thecontrol system 88 may include a memory 90 and processing circuitry 92.The memory 90 may include volatile memory, such as random-access memory(RAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM),optical drives, hard disc drives, solid-state drives, or any othernon-transitory computer-readable medium that includes instructionsexecutable by the processing circuitry 92. The processing circuitry 92may include one or more application specific integrated circuits(ASICs), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or moregeneral purpose processors, or any combination thereof, configured toexecute the instructions stored in the memory 90, such as to controloperations to test the PCE stack 18.

The control system 88 may be communicatively coupled to a drive 94(e.g., a variable-frequency drive, a variable-speed drive), which iscommunicatively coupled to a motor 96 (e.g., an electric motor). Themotor 96 is coupled to a pump 98 that may direct fluid from a tank 100into the test section 84. In some embodiments, the fluid may include aliquid, such as water, glycol, oil, diesel, methanol or other alcohols,anti-freeze, another inert fluid, another suitable fluid, or anycombination thereof. Accordingly, during a test mode or test operationof the PCE test system 82, the control system 88 may output controlsignals to the drive 94 in order to regulate a rate (e.g., a volumetricflow rate) in which the pump 98 directs the fluid from the tank 100 intothe test section 84. Furthermore, the control system 88 may becommunicatively coupled to a vent valve 102 (e.g., a solenoid valve) ofthe PCE stack 18 in order to enable fluid to be directed out of the PCEstack 18. For example, after the test mode is completed, the controlsystem 88 may open the vent valve 102 to remove the fluid from the testsection 84. With the fluid removed or substantially removed from the PCEstack 18, the PCE stack 18 may operate to perform interventionoperations on the wellbore.

The control system 88 may be communicatively coupled to various sensors(e.g., via circuitry 103 that is coupled to and/or a part of the controlsystem 88) and may receive sensor data from such sensors. As an example,the PCE test system 82 may include a pressure sensor 104 configured tomonitor a pressure (e.g., a fluid pressure) within the PCE test system82. For instance, the pressure sensor 104 may be configured to monitor apressure within the conduit that connects the pump 98 to the testsection 84. Such pressure may be indicative of a pressure within thetest section 84. During the test mode of the PCE test system 82, thecircuitry 103 may receive a pressure reading from the pressure sensor104 and may forward the pressure reading to the control system 88 andenable the control system 88 to control the drive 94 based on thepressure reading. By way of example, the control system 88 may beconfigured to instruct the drive 94 to cause the pump 98 to direct fluidinto the test section 84 until the pressure monitored by the pressuresensor 104 reaches a first threshold pressure.

After the pressure has reached the first threshold pressure, the controlsystem 88 may instruct the drive 94 to suspend or terminate directingthe fluid into the test section 84 and/or to fluidly isolate the pump 98from the test section 84 (e.g., from the test section 84 and the conduitthat connects the pump 98 to the test section 84 via closure of avalve). The control system 88 may then monitor the pressure determinedby the pressure sensor 104 over time to determine a pressure changewithin the test section 84. In particular, the pressure change may beindicative of a structure of the PCE stack 18 maintaining fluid withinthe test section 84. As an example, if the change of pressure over aperiod of time is above a threshold change of pressure, the controlsystem 88 may determine that the structure of the PCE stack 18 is notdesirable (e.g., the structure causes an undesirable amount of fluid toexit the test section 84) and may, for instance, output a notificationto indicate that the PCE stack 18 is to undergo inspection and/ormaintenance (e.g., to replace seal elements).

After the period of time of the test mode has passed, indicating the PCEtest system 82 has completed testing of the test section 84, the controlsystem 88 may then instruct the vent valve 102 to open to direct thefluid out of the test section 84, thereby reducing the pressure withinthe test section 84. For instance, the control system 88 may instructthe vent valve 102 to open until the pressure within the test section 84is below a second threshold pressure. When the pressure has droppedbelow the second threshold pressure, the control system 88 may instructthe vent valve 102 to close, and the PCE stack 18 may be in condition toperform intervention operations.

The control system 88 may additionally or alternatively receive sensordata from one or more sensor(s) 106 of the PCE stack 18. In certainembodiments, the sensor(s) 106 may be configured to directly monitorpressure within the test section 84, and the control system 88 mayinstruct the drive 94 to direct fluid into the test section 84 based onthe pressure readings made by the sensor(s) 106 in addition to or as analternative to the pressure readings made by the pressure sensor 104.Indeed, the control system 88 may receive multiple pressure readings andcompare such pressure readings to verify an accurate pressure readingwithin the test section 84 and ensure accurate testing. For example, thecontrol system 88 may determine a final pressure reading within the testsection 84 based on an average (e.g., a mathematical mean) of thereceived pressure readings and/or may verify that the pressure readingsare within a threshold pressure difference of one another in order todetermine that each pressure reading accurately reflects the pressurewithin the test section 84.

In further embodiments, the rate at which fluid is delivered into thetest section 84 may be based on the readings made by the pressure sensor104 and/or the sensor(s) 106. For example, as the pressure within thetest section 84 increases toward the first threshold pressure (e.g.,within 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, or 50 percent of the first thresholdpressure), the control system 88 may instruct the drive 94 to reduce theflow rate at which fluid is directed from the tank 100 into the testsection 84 in order to avoid exceeding the first threshold pressure. Thecontrol system 88 may instruct the drive 94 to reduce the flow rate atwhich fluid is directed from the tank 100 into the test section 84 in acontinuous or step-wise manner (e.g., within 25 percent of the firstthreshold pressure, the flow rate is reduced to 75 percent of an initialflow rate, and within 10 percent of the first threshold pressure, theflow rate is reduced to 50 percent of the initial flow rate, and soforth) for at least a portion of the process of providing fluid into thetest section 84. That is, for instance, when the pressure reading iswithin a threshold range of the first threshold pressure, the controlsystem 88 may reduce the rate at which the pump 98 directs fluid intothe test section 84 and may therefore gradually increase the pressurewithin the test section 84 to the first threshold pressure.

Further still, although the present disclosure primarily discussesoperation based on a pressure within the test section 84, the controlsystem 88 may operate based on sensor data that includes anotheroperating parameter, such as a total volume of fluid within the testsection 84, a level of fluid within the tank 100, and/or any othersuitable operating parameter. Indeed, the control system 88 may operateany suitable component based on received sensor data. For instance, thesensor(s) 106 may also include a position sensor, such as a positionsensor configured to monitor a position of the vent valve 102. In thisway, the control system 88 may control the vent valve 102 (e.g., anopening size of the vent valve 102) based on the position indicated bythe sensor data and/or other operating parameters received from theother sensors 104, 106, such as to remove fluid from the PCE stack 18 ata target flow rate and/or to provide fluid to the PCE stack 18 inresponse to the vent valve 102 being closed as indicated via the sensordata.

In the illustrated embodiment, the control system 88 may also receive arespective signal from a level switch 108 and/or a respective signalfrom a clog switch 110 in order to initiate operations. As an example,the level switch 108 may indicate an amount of fluid available (e.g.,within the tank 100) for delivery into the test section 84, and the clogswitch 110 may be configured to determine whether there is a clog in thepump 98 and/or in a fluid conduit to block the pump 98 from directingfluid at a sufficient rate into the test section 84. That is, before thecontrol system 88 instructs the drive 94 to enable the pump 98 to directfluid from the tank 100 into the test section 84, the control system 88may verify that there is a sufficient amount of fluid available (e.g.,the amount of fluid in the tank 100 is above a threshold fluid level orvolume that would enable the test section 84 to be filled and the testmode to be completed) and that there is sufficient clearance for thepump 98 to supply fluid at a desirable or target flow rate into the testsection 84. As such, the data received from the level switch 108 and/orthe clog switch 110 (e.g., as forwarded by the circuitry 103) may enablethe control system 88 to operate the pump 98 in a desirable manner. Thecontrol system 88 may also continue to verify sensors, such as the fluidlevel 108 or clog switch 110 continuously or at intervals during thepumping of fluid to ensure the system and pump 98 continues to operatein a desirable manner. In further embodiments, the operation of thedrive 94 may be automatically suspended or terminated to reduce or limita stress imparted onto the drive 94 when operating at a higher powerlevel or setting to enable the pump 98 to direct fluid into the testsection 84. As an example, the drive 94 may not operate when a torqueoutput, a horsepower output, and/or a current input exceeds a thresholdvalue, such as when there is a blockage within the conduit through whichfluid flows to the test section 84. The pump 98 may not operate (e.g.,may stall) at excessive pressure. Thus, the PCE test system 82 providesfor several layers of control (e.g., shut-off control). Although theillustrated embodiment includes the circuitry 103 communicativelycoupled to the sensors 104, 106 and switches 108, 110, additional oralternative embodiments may not include the circuitry 103. Instead, thesensors 104, 106 and switches 108, 110 may be directly communicativelycoupled to the control system 88 (e.g., via a communication network,such as a wireless network).

A portion of the operation of the control system 88 may be controlledremotely based on a user input (e.g., from an operator, from atechnician). For example, the user input may adjust an operatingparameter (e.g., the first threshold pressure, the second thresholdpressure, the fluid flow rate) of the test mode of the control system88, initiate the test mode of the control system 88, suspend the testmode of the control system 88, and so forth. In some embodiments, theuser input may be received from a user interface 112, which may be in awork vehicle 114 (e.g., a wireline truck). The user interface 112 may,for instance, include a touchscreen, a track pad, a button, a switch, adial, an audio sensor (e.g., for voice activation), a motion sensor(e.g., for gestural input), another suitable feature, or any combinationthereof, to enable a user to control operation of the control system 88.The user interface 112 may be communicatively coupled to the circuitry103. Thus, the circuitry 103 may receive the user input via the userinterface 112 and may forward the user input to the control system 88 tocause the control system 88 to operate accordingly. As a result, a userwithin the work vehicle 114 may remotely control operation of thecontrol system 88 (e.g., while remote from or physically separated fromthe PCE stack 18 and the PCE test system 82).

Furthermore, the control system 88 may output a control signal to theuser interface 112, such as to present a display via the user interface112. By way of example, during the test mode of the PCE test system 82,the control system 88 may output a control signal to the user interface112 to display test data to the user, thereby enabling the user toobserve data (e.g., pressure data, such as the pressure data from thepressure sensor 104 and/or the sensor(s) 106) monitored during the testto monitor the performance of the test of the testing section 84 and/orensure the PCE test system 82 is operating as desired. In anotherexample, the control system 88 may output a control signal that causesthe user interface 112 to display a notification, such as a notificationindicative that the PCE test system 82 and/or the PCE stack 18 is to beinspected (e.g., in response to the pressure data decreasing in a mannerthat indicates that the structure of the PCE stack 18 is not desirable).The control system 88 may output a control signal that causes the userinterface 112 to display data and/or a notification related to operationof the PCE test system 82 (e.g., data from the level switch 108, datafrom the clog switch 110, a notification that the pump 98 is notoperating in a desirable manner). In any case, the user may utilize theuser interface 112 in order to monitor various data associated with thePCE test system 82 and/or the PCE stack 18.

In the illustrated embodiment, the work vehicle 114 also includes apower source 118 configured to supply power, such as electrical power,to the control system 88. For this reason, the power source 118 may beelectrically coupled to the circuitry 103 and may supply electricalpower to the circuitry 103 to enable the control system 88 to operate.In additional or alternative embodiments, the power source 118 may notbe located within the work vehicle 114 and may, for instance, bedisposed within an enclosure at the PCE test system 82, separate fromthe PCE test system 82, and/or separate from the work vehicle 114.Moreover, the circuitry 103 may include various components (e.g., acircuit breaker, a fuse) configured to block the power supplied by thepower source 118, such as when the power is an unexpected and/or anundesirable voltage, and maintain an operation of the control system 88.The circuitry 103 may also include components, such as a converter,configured to adjust the supplied power to a usable level (e.g., from afirst current to a second current) to enable operation of the PCE testsystem 82.

Additionally or alternatively, the user input may be received via acloud-based system 120, such as a cloud-computing system, which iscommunicatively coupled to the circuitry 103. By way of example, thecloud-based system 120 may enable the user to control operation of thecontrol system 88 from a remote computing device (e.g., a mobile phone,a laptop, a desktop, a tablet), such as via an application interface. Asa result, the cloud-based system 120 may enable the user to control theoperation of the control system 88 at any suitable location (e.g.,remote from or physically separate from the PCE test system 82,including from the work vehicle 114 without a wired connection and/orfrom another location). In further embodiments, the user interface 112and/or the cloud-based system 120 may be directly coupled to the controlsystem 88 and not to the circuitry 103, thereby enabling the controlsystem 88 to receive the user input directly. In any case, the user mayset a desired operation of the control system 88, and the control system88 may automatically operate the drive 94 to direct fluid within thetest section 84 accordingly.

Further, in some embodiments, the control system 88 may be configured tooperate in a variety of different preset or predetermined operations,such as based on the particular PCE stack 18 to which the PCE testsystem 82 is coupled. For example, the operation of control system 88may be adjustable to accommodate specifications of the PCE stack 18(e.g., the type of equipment or components of the PCE stack 18), therebyimproving the testing of the PCE stack 18. For this reason, the userinput received via the user interface 112 and/or the cloud-based system120 may indicate the PCE stack 18 to which the PCE test system 82 iscoupled. For instance, the user input may include an identification(e.g., a code) of the embodiment of the PCE stack 18, and the controlsystem 88 may receive the user input and automatically operate the testmode in accordance with the user input (e.g., select a test modeprotocol from multiple available test mode protocols stored in thememory 90 and/or determine/develop a test mode protocol using one ormore algorithms, in which the test mode protocol is appropriate for thePCE stack 18). The control system 88 may additionally or alternativelyreceive identification data (e.g., image data, code data) that isindicative of characteristics of specifications of the PCE stack 18, andthus, is indicative of a desirable operation of the PCE test system 82.To this end, the PCE test system 82 may include an identification sensor122 (e.g., an image sensor or a radio-frequency identification reader)or other suitable type of sensor that is configured to obtainidentification data, such as a quick response code, a bar code, and/or acode from a radio-frequency identification tag, in order to set theoperation of the control system 88 (e.g., to select or determine/developthe test mode protocol). By way of example, the identification sensor122 may read one or more codes stored in one or more radio-frequencyidentification tags, which may be coupled to one or more components ofthe PCE stack 18, and the control system 88 may receive the one or morecodes, verify the specification of the PCE stack 18, and automaticallyoperate accordingly, such as by automatically setting the firstthreshold pressure, the second threshold pressure, the fluid flow rate,or any other operating parameter of the test mode. It should be notedthe control system 88 may additionally or alternatively receivespecifications of one or more components (e.g., the pump 98) of the PCEtest system 82 in a similar manner, and may operate accordingly.

Although the present disclosure primarily discusses operation of the PCEtest system 82 to test the PCE stack 18, the PCE test system 82 mayoperate for other purposes. For example, when hydrates that impactoperation of the PCE stack 18 are formed, the control system 88 mayoperate to cause the pump 98 to direct a different fluid, such as glycoland/or methanol, into the PCE stack 18 to mitigate the effects of thehydrates. Indeed, the pump 98 may be operated to direct any suitablefluid into the PCE stack 18, such as at any suitable fluid flow rate, toany amount, and so forth, based on the fluid type, the specification ofthe PCE stack 18, the specification of the PCE test system 82, anothersuitable factor, or any combination thereof, under control of thecontrol system 88 (e.g., automatically controlled by the control system88 in response to data from one or more sensors of the PCE stack 18and/or user inputs via the user interface 112 or other remotely locateduser interface). For example, the control system 88 may monitorcharacteristics, such as a fluid composition (e.g., presence ofhydrates), within the PCE stack 18 by using an additional sensor,determine a flow rate of fluid to be directed into the PCE stack 18based on the sensor data, instruct the drive 94 to cause the pump 98 todirect the fluid into the PCE stack 18 at the determined flow rate offluid, dynamically determine an updated flow rate of the fluid based onthe sensor data during testing, and instruct the drive 94 to adjust thepump 98 based on the updated flow rate (e.g., automatically withoutreal-time user input). In such cases, the control system 88 may beconfigured to output (e.g., based on the user interface 112) a fluidvolume of the different fluid injected into the PCE stack 18.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a hydraulic system 150that may be used by the PCE test system 82 to direct fluid into the testsection 84 of the PCE stack 18 with reference to FIG. 3. The hydraulicsystem 150 includes the tank 100, which may contain fluid 152 to bedirected to the PCE stack 18. The tank 100 may be fluidly coupled to areservoir 154, which may hold the fluid 152. For example, the reservoir154 may be fluidly coupled to other systems (e.g., other hydraulicsystems) to supply the fluid 152 and enable the operation of the othersystems. The tank 100 may include a valve 156 (e.g., a float valve) thatmay be configured to transition between an open configuration and aclosed configuration. In the open configuration, the valve 156 mayenable the fluid 152 to flow from the reservoir 154 to fill the tank100. In the closed configuration, the valve 156 may block the fluid 152from flowing into the tank 100 from the reservoir 154. The configurationof the valve 156 may be based on the level of the fluid 152 within thetank 100. For instance, the valve 156 may include a buoyant component,and a position of the buoyant component may set the configuration of thevalve 156. The level of the fluid 152 may drive the positioning of thebuoyant component, thereby setting the configuration of the valve 156.In particular, when the level of the fluid 152 in the tank 100 is low,the buoyant component may be positioned (e.g., by a gravitational force)to open the valve 156 and enable fluid flow into the tank 100, therebyincreasing the fluid level. However, when the level of the fluid 152 inthe tank 100 reaches a first threshold level, the buoyant component maybe positioned to close the valve 156 to block fluid flow into the tank100, thereby blocking the fluid level from increasing (e.g., to avoidoverflowing the tank 100). As used herein, the fluid 152 and/or thefluid flow refers to a portion of the fluid 152 at any suitable locationwithin the hydraulic system 150.

The tank 100 may also be fluidly coupled to the pump 98 to enable thepump 98 to direct the fluid 152 out of the tank 100. In the illustratedembodiment, a filter 158 (e.g., a strainer) is implemented between anoutlet 160 (e.g., an outlet valve) of the tank 100 and an inlet 162 ofthe pump 98. The filter 158 may block certain particles, such as dirtand/or debris, from flowing into the pump 98. Thus, the filter 158 mayensure that the pump 98 primarily receives the fluid 152 from the tank100 in order to maintain an operation of the pump 98. The hydraulicsystem 150 may include the level switch 108 and/or the clog switch 110communicatively coupled to the control system 88 that is configured tocontrol operation of the motor 96 and therefore of the pump 98. Indeed,the level switch 108 may monitor the level of the fluid 152 within thetank 100 and may transmit data to the control system 88 to indicate thatthe level of the fluid 152 within the tank 100 is below a secondthreshold level that is below the first threshold level, such as whenthere is an insufficient amount of fluid available in the reservoir 154for supply to the tank 100. Accordingly, the control system 88 maysuspend operation of the motor 96 and the pump 98 to avoid furtherreducing the fluid level within the tank 100 and/or to avoid running themotor 96 and the pump 98 in the absence of the fluid at the pump 98.Further, the clog switch 110 may monitor a performance of the filter158. For example, the clog switch 110 may monitor a clearance of thefilter 158 and may transmit data to the control system 88 to indicatewhen there is a blockage of the filter 158. Upon receipt of such datafrom the clog switch 110, the control system 88 may suspend operation ofthe motor 96 to avoid placing an undesirable stress on the motor 96 andthe pump 98 and/or to direct the fluid 152 at a desirable rate to thePCE stack. In some embodiments, the clog switch 110 or another switchmay detect particulate matter within the fluid 152 downstream of thefilter 158 (e.g., between the filter 158 and the pump 98), and thecontrol system 88 may suspend operation of the motor 96 based on thedetection of particulate matter to protect operation of the motor 96and/or the pump 98.

A fluid conduit or tubing 164 fluidly couples a first outlet 165 of thepump 98 to a fluid connection 166 (e.g., a fluid port) that isconfigured to fluidly couple to the test section of the PCE stack (e.g.,along the lubricator section 34 and between the stuffing box 30 and thevalve stack 38, with reference to FIG. 2). Thus, the pump 98 may directthe fluid 152 from the tank 100 into the PCE stack. Further, thepressure sensor 104 is fluidly coupled to the fluid conduit 164 upstreamof the fluid connection 166. As such, the pressure sensor 104 isconfigured to determine a pressure within the fluid conduit 164, and thepressure may be indicative of a fluid pressure within the PCE stack,such as within the test section. Indeed, the control system 88 maycontrol operation of the motor 96 and of the pump 98 based on sensordata received from the pressure sensor 104. In some embodiments, thepump 98 may also be fluidly coupled to the tank 100 at a second outlet168 and may include a valve 170 configured to enable the pump 98 todirect the fluid 152 back into the tank 100 instead of toward the fluidconnection 166. For instance, the valve 170 may be a pressure valveconfigured to open when the pressure within the pump 98 (e.g., caused bythe pressure within the fluid conduit 164) exceeds a threshold pressure(e.g., 15 bar, 17 bar, 20 bar). Thus, the valve 170 blocks a furtherincrease within the fluid conduit 164.

The illustrated hydraulic system 150 also includes check valves 172configured to block fluid flow back into the pump 98 via the firstoutlet 165, and a pressure relief valve 174 disposed between the checkvalves 172 and the first outlet 165 of the pump 98. The pressure reliefvalve 174 is configured to block fluid flow from the pump 98 to thefluid connection 166 and into the PCE stack. For example, the pressurerelief valve 174 may open to direct the fluid 152 from the fluid conduit164 to a drainage reservoir 173 and/or a waste reservoir 175 when thepressure within the fluid conduit 164 exceeds a threshold pressure(e.g., 500 bar, 750 bar, 1000 bar). As such, the pressure relief valve174 may therefore cause the fluid 152 to flow from the first outlet 165of the pump 98 to the drainage reservoir 173 and/or the waste reservoir175 instead of toward the fluid connection 166.

The hydraulic system 150 may further include a decompression valveassembly 176, which may be fluidly coupled to the fluid conduit 164between the pressure sensor 104 and the check valves 172. Thedecompression valve assembly 176 may enable the fluid 152 to flow out ofthe PCE stack, such as via the fluid connection 166, and into thedrainage reservoir 173 and/or the waste reservoir 175. Although theillustrated decompression valve assembly 176 is a part of the hydraulicsystem 150 of the PCE test system, an additional or alternativedecompression valve assembly 176 may be disposed within the PCE stack(e.g., as the vent valve 102 described with respect to FIG. 3) to enablethe fluid 152 to flow out of the PCE stack without having to flowthrough the fluid connection 166. In any case, the decompression valveassembly 176 may include a first valve 178, which may be communicativelycoupled to the control system 88. The control system 88 mayautomatically control the first valve 178 by outputting a control signalto the first valve 178 to enable or block fluid flow through thedecompression valve assembly 176 to remove the fluid 152 from the PCEstack. As an example, the control system 88 may be configured to outputthe control signal after receiving an indication that the test mode ofthe PCE test system has been completed in order to prepare the PCE stackto operate one of the intervening operations. Indeed, the control system88 may automatically operate the first valve 178 based on the sensordata received from the pressure sensor 104, such as to maintain thefirst valve 178 in an open configuration to direct the fluid 152 out ofthe PCE stack until the sensor data indicates the pressure within thePCE stack is below a threshold pressure. Additionally or alternatively,the sensor data received from the sensor(s) 106 in FIG. 2 may be used bythe control system 88 to control the decompression valve assembly 176 inthis manner.

The decompression valve assembly 176 may further include a second valve180, which may also be communicatively coupled to the control system 88.The control system 88 may operate the second valve 180 in response toreceiving a user input, such as from the user interface 112 of the workvehicle 114 and/or from the cloud-based system 120 with respect to FIG.3. Additionally or alternatively, the user may physically or manuallyadjust the second valve 180 (e.g., without operating the control system88). In any case, the user input may override the current operation(e.g., the test mode) of the PCE test system so as to remove fluid fromthe PCE stack. In other words, the user may physically or manuallyoperate the second valve 180 to direct the fluid 152 out of the PCEstack regardless of the configuration of the first valve 178.

Each of FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrates a respective method or process foroperating a PCE test system, such as the PCE test system 82 describedwith respect to FIG. 3. Each method may be performed by a controlsystem, such as the control system 88 described with respect to FIG. 3.It should be noted that each method may be performed in a differentmanner than described herein. For example, additional steps may beperformed, and/or certain steps may be removed, modified, and/orperformed in a different order. Furthermore, in some embodiments, theuser may provide inputs (e.g., confirmations) between steps in order toproceed to further steps. For example, the user may be provided with areport (e.g., a digital or electronic report, a physical printout), andafter review of the report, the user may provide an input to instructthe control system to proceed to further steps.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method or process 200 foroperating the test mode to determine the structure of the PCE stack(e.g., whether the structure of the PCE stack can appropriately containpressurized fluid). At block 202, an indication of initiating a testmode of the PCE test system is received. In some embodiments, theindication may be received via a user input, such as from the userinterface of the work vehicle and/or from the cloud-based system. Inadditional or alternative embodiments, the indication may be timingdata. By way of example, the test mode may be performed at a preset orpredetermined frequency (e.g., once per day, once per week, once peryear, once prior to operation of the PCE stack), and the timing data mayindicate that it is the appropriate time for the test mode to beperformed at the preset or predetermined frequency.

At block 204, an indication that testing may be performed is received.In certain embodiments, the indication may include sensor dataindicative that the PCE test system and/or the PCE stack are incondition for testing. For instance, the sensor data may indicate thatthere is sufficient fluid within the tank (e.g., as indicated by thelevel switch) and/or that the pump is cleared to direct fluid from thetank into the PCE stack (e.g., as indicated by the clog switch).Moreover, the sensor data may indicate that various components, such assealing elements (e.g., of the stuffing box, the valve stack), conduits(e.g., of the hydraulic system), sensors, and so forth, of the PCE testsystem and/or the PCE stack are in a position or a configuration to fillthe test section of the PCE stack and enable testing. Indeed, the PCEtest system and/or the PCE stack may be pre-tested by using an auxiliarypump to direct fluid through the PCE test system and/or the PCE stack(e.g., into a part of the test section of the PCE stack) to ensure thePCE test system and/or the PCE stack are in condition for testing.Additionally or alternatively, the indication may include a user inputthat confirms or verifies the PCE test system and/or the PCE stack arein condition for testing. That is, for example, the user may be promptedto inspect and/or pre-test various sections of the PCE test systemand/or of the PCE stack to verify that the PCE test system and/or thePCE stack are in condition for testing. The user may then transmit theuser input (e.g., via the user interface, the cloud-based system) toindicate the PCE test system and/or the PCE stack are in condition fortesting.

At block 206, in response to verification that the PCE test systemand/or the PCE stack are in condition for testing, an initial test maybe performed by instructing the pump to direct fluid from the tank intothe test section of the PCE stack until a first or initial thresholdpressure (e.g., 20.6 bar or 300 pounds per square inch [psi], 27.6 baror 400 pounds psi, 34.5 bar or 500 psi) within the test section isreached. For example, the pump may direct fluid into the test sectionbased on a target fluid flow rate and/or a target pressure rate ofincrease in the test section. After the first threshold pressure hasbeen reached, fluid flow into test section may be blocked (e.g., bysuspending operation of the pump, by fluidly isolating the test sectionfrom the pump). Prior to and/or during the initial test, air or othercurrent fluid within the PCE stack may be removed (e.g., via the ventvalve, the decompression valve, a bleed valve) to enable the pump todirect fluid and fill the PCE stack. As the test section of the PCEstack fills with fluid, the pressure within the PCE stack may bemonitored by the user and/or by a sensor in order to determine whetherfurther testing on the test section of the PCE stack may be performed.

At block 208, a determination is made regarding whether the initial testindicates a high pressure test of the test section of the PCE stack maybe performed. By way of example, during the initial test, the pressurewithin the PCE stack may be monitored to determine whether the pressurewithin the test section is increasing and/or is maintained at adesirable level, such as whether a configuration of a certain component,a position of a certain component, and/or a structural geometry of thePCE test system and/or the PCE stack are blocking fluid flow into thetest section, causing the fluid to flow out of the test section, orotherwise blocking the pressure within the test section from reachingand maintaining (e.g., substantially maintaining) the first thresholdpressure. In some embodiments, the pressure may be automaticallymonitored via the pressure sensor of the PCE test system and/or thesensor(s) of the PCE stack to enable automatic determination of whetherthe high pressure test may be performed. In additional or alternativeembodiments, the user may be prompted to observe the pressure and/or theoperation of the PCE test system and/or the PCE stack during the initialtest, and the user may transmit a user input indicative of whether thehigh pressure test may be performed.

If there is an indication that the high pressure test cannot beperformed, a notification may be output, as indicated at block 210. Byway of example, the notification may be output for display to the user(e.g., as a visual output, as an audio output) to inform the user thatthe high pressure test may not be performed. As such, the user mayinspect the PCE test system and/or the PCE stack to determine why thePCE test system may not perform the high pressure test. Indeed, if thereis an indication that the high pressure test cannot be performed, thehigh pressure test may not be initiated until an additional input isreceived to indicate that the PCE test system and/or the PCE stack hasbeen inspected, and that the PCE stack is now in condition for highpressure testing or to repeat the initial test. Further, in someimplementations, the notification may be stored, such as in a database.Thus, the notification may be retrieved at a later time, such as duringmaintenance of the PCE test system and/or of the PCE stack to determinewhether there have been any previous occurrences in which the highpressure test was blocked from initialization.

Additionally or alternatively, the fluid may be removed from the PCEstack when there is an indication that the high pressure test cannot beperformed. For example, a valve (e.g., the vent valve, the decompressionvalve) may be opened to enable the fluid to flow out of the PCE stackand reduce the pressure within the PCE stack. As such, the PCE stack maybe returned to a condition that was present prior to initiation of theinitial test.

If there is an indication that the high pressure test can be performed,a control signal may be output to continue to deliver fluid into the PCEstack until a second or high threshold pressure (e.g., 69 bar or 1000psi, 55.1 bar or 800 psi, 103 bar or 1500 psi) within the test sectionis reached, as shown at block 212. As an example, the indication may bereceived via a user input to initiate the high pressure test or viasensor data from the pressure sensor of the PCE test system and/orsensor(s) of the PCE stack. During the high pressure test, the pump maybe operated to direct fluid from the tank into the test section. Incertain embodiments, the pump may initially direct the fluid at a presetflow rate into the test section, and the pump may gradually reduce theflow rate in which fluid is directed into the test section as thepressure within the test section increases in order to avoid causing thepressure within the test section to exceed the second thresholdpressure. That is, as the pressure within the test section approachesthe second threshold pressure (e.g., as measured by the pressuresensor), the pump may direct the fluid at a reduced rate and graduallyincrease the pressure to reach the second threshold pressure. In someembodiments, the second threshold pressure may be set by the user via auser input. In additional or alternative embodiments, the secondthreshold pressure may be set automatically, such as based on adetermined specification or configuration of the PCE stack.

After the second threshold pressure is reached and the high pressuretest has been completed, operation of the pump (e.g., of the driveand/or the motor of the pump) may be suspended and/or the test sectionmay be isolated from the pump to block additional fluid from beingdirected from the pump into the test section. At block 214, afteroperation of the pump has been suspended, the pressure within the testsection may be monitored over a predetermined or preset interval of time(e.g., 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour), which may be basedon a user input and/or automatically determined based on a specificationof the PCE stack. In this way, the pressure within the test section overthe interval of time may be monitored to determine a pressure drop rate,or a pressure drop over the interval of time. Such pressure drop may beindicative of a structural geometry (e.g., an irregularity within thestructure) of the PCE stack that causes the fluid to flow undesirablyout of the test section.

At block 216, a report (e.g., a digital or electronic report, a physicalprintout) is output based on the monitored pressure within the testsection over the interval of time. The report may indicate a value ofthe pressure over time, such as via a table, a graph, a chart, and thelike. The report may additionally indicate an overall performance of thetest, such as to indicate whether the PCE stack is in condition tooperate (e.g., to operate one of the intervening operations). Forexample, if the total pressure drop is below 20.7 bar or 300 psi, 34.5bar or 500 psi, 55.1 bar or 800 psi, or another suitable thresholdpressure drop, the report may indicate that the PCE stack is incondition to operate. However, if the total pressure drop over theinterval of time is above the threshold pressure drop, the report mayindicate that the PCE stack is not in condition to operate. Additionallyor alternatively, if the rate of pressure drop (e.g., the pressure dropover any block of time within the interval of time) is above a thresholdrate, a determination may be made that the PCE stack is not in conditionto operate, and the report may be output accordingly. By way of example,if the rate of pressure drop at any point within the interval of timeexceeds the rate of pressure drop at any time, a determination may bemade that the PCE stack is not in condition to operate, even though thetotal pressure drop over the interval of time may be below the thresholdpressure drop. In this way, the report may be provided before completionof the test mode (e.g., if the rate of pressure drop exceeds the rate ofpressure drop before completion of the test mode, then a reportindicating that the PCE stack is not in condition to operate may beprovided before the remaining time of the test mode are completed),and/or the test mode may be terminated before completion of the testmode. The report may also indicate other operating parameters orconditions, such as a speed setting for the motor, an actual speed forthe motor, a fluid flow rate, and/or a fluid volume injected into thePCE stack, in order to facilitate the user with analyzing the operationof the PCE test system and/or the PCE stack.

In some embodiments, the report may be output for display to the user(e.g., to the user interface, to a computing device). Thus, the user mayreview the report and inspect the PCE stack accordingly. In additionalor alternative embodiments, the report may be stored in a database andmay be retrieved at a later time. Indeed, a respective report may bestored after completion of each high pressure test, such as to enablethe user to review historical information regarding the PCE stack. Byway of example, the user may review the reports to determine whether thecondition of the PCE stack has been changing over time, such as thedifferences in the respective pressure drops associated with differentcompleted high pressure tests. In addition to or as an alternative tothe report, another notification may be output based on the monitoredpressure to indicate whether the PCE stack is in condition to operate.For instance, the notification may include a visual display (e.g., alight) and/or an audio display (e.g., a sound) indicative of thecondition of the PCE stack.

In certain embodiments, machine learning may be used to associate theresult of the high pressure test with the determined condition of thePCE stack. As used herein, machine learning refers to algorithms andstatistical models that may be used to perform a specific task withoutusing explicit instructions, relying instead on patterns and inference.In particular, machine learning generates a mathematical model based ondata (e.g., sample or training data, historical data) in order to makepredictions or decisions without being explicitly programmed to performthe task. Thus, as high pressure tests are performed, the patterns ofthe pressure drop (e.g., the threshold pressure drop, the thresholdpressure drop rate, expected patterns of pressure drop for a properlysealed test section and/or for an improperly sealed test section) may beupdated and better reflect whether the PCE stack is in condition tooperate. Thus, the patterns may be referred to (e.g., a current patternof pressure drop for a current test mode may be compared to one or morepatterns generated via machine learning) for accurately determining thecondition of the PCE stack and generating the report.

In some embodiments, such as during availability of particular knownexamples that correlate to future predictions that may be generated,supervised machine learning may be implemented. In supervised machinelearning, the mathematical model of a set of data contains both theinputs and the desired outputs. This data is referred to as “trainingdata” and is essentially a set of training examples. Each trainingexample has one or more inputs and the desired output, also known as asupervisory signal. In the mathematical model, each training example isrepresented by an array or vector, sometimes called a feature vector,and the training data is represented by a matrix. Through iterativeoptimization of an objective function, supervised learning algorithmslearn a function that can be used to predict the output associated withnew inputs. An optimal function will allow the algorithm to correctlydetermine the output for inputs that were not a part of the trainingdata. An algorithm that improves the accuracy of its outputs orpredictions over time is said to have learned to perform that task.Supervised learning algorithms include classification and regression.Classification algorithms are used when the outputs are restricted to alimited set of values, and regression algorithms are used when theoutputs may have any numerical value within a range. Further, similaritylearning is an area of supervised machine learning closely related toregression and classification, but the goal is to learn from examplesusing a similarity function that determines the extent in which twoobjects are similar or related.

Additionally and/or alternatively, in some situations, it may bebeneficial to utilize unsupervised learning (e.g., when particularoutput types are not known). Unsupervised learning algorithms take a setof data that contains only inputs and find structure in the data, suchas grouping or clustering of data points. The algorithms, therefore,learn from test data that has not been labeled, classified, orcategorized. Instead of responding to feedback, unsupervised learningalgorithms identify commonalities in the data and react based on thepresence or absence of such commonalities in each new piece of data. Inany case, machine learning may be used to identify the condition of thePCE stack accordingly.

At block 218, an indication is received to reduce the pressure in thetest section of the PCE stack. As an example, the indication may bereceived via sensor data. For instance, the sensor data may indicatethat the high pressure test has been completed, and the fluid is to bedirected out of the test section accordingly. As another example, theindication may be received via a user input in which the user indicatesthat the fluid is to be directed out of the test section. Further, itshould also be noted that the indication to reduce the pressure in thetest section PCE stack may be received at any time, such as regardlessof the result of the high pressure test and/or at any time during thetest mode (e.g., according to a time schedule so as to conduct the testmode over a period of time). Indeed, the indication may be receivedduring the high pressure test (e.g., based on sensor data indicatingfluid is flowing undesirably out of the test section), during theinitial test, after the initial test, and so forth, to return the PCEstack to a condition prior to initializing testing of the PCE stack.

After the indication to reduce the pressure in the test section isreceived, a control signal is output to direct fluid out of the PCEstack until the pressure within the test section is below a thirdthreshold pressure, as indicated at block 220. The control signal maycause a valve (e.g., the vent valve, the decompression valve) to openand enable fluid to flow out of the PCE stack. As the fluid flows out ofthe PCE stack, sensor data indicative of the pressure within the testsection may be monitored and used to determine when the valve may beclosed again (e.g., when the fluid has been directed out of orsubstantially out of the test section). For instance, the valve may beopen until the sensor data indicates that the pressure is below 0.7 baror 10 psi, 1.4 bar or 20 psi, 2.1 bar or 30 psi, or another suitablethreshold pressure. After the pressure is indicated to be below thethird threshold pressure, the valve may be closed, thereby blockingfluid flow out of the PCE stack via the valve and preparing the PCEstack for operation (e.g., in one of the intervening operations).

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method or process 240 forenabling the PCE test system to operate the initial test of the PCEstack. For example, the method 240 may be performed as a part of theblock 204 (e.g., after the block 202 in which the indication ofinitiating the test mode or operation is received) of the method 200with reference to FIG. 5 in order to determine whether the PCE testsystem and/or the PCE stack is in condition for testing. At block 242, adetermination may be made regarding whether a level switch indicatesthat a fluid level within the tank is low. For example, a determinationmay be made regarding whether the level switch indicates the fluid levelin the tank is below a threshold level, which may block the pump fromdirecting fluid from the tank into the PCE stack at a target flow rate,such as by blocking the pump from receiving fluid from the tank. Atblock 244, a determination may be made regarding whether a clog switchindicates there is a blockage that may also block the pump fromdirecting fluid from the tank into the PCE stack at the target flowrate, such as by blocking fluid from flowing through the pump. Forinstance, a determination may be made regarding whether a collection ofparticles trapped by a filter occupies a threshold surface area on thefilter exceeding a threshold surface area to block fluid flow throughthe filter (e.g., into the pump). Accordingly, at block 246, adetermination is made regarding whether there is at least one of eitheran indication of a low fluid level and/or a blockage that would blockthe pump from directing fluid from the tank into the PCE stack at thetarget flow rate.

At block 248, the test mode of the PCE test system is suspended and anotification is output in response to a determination that there is atleast one of either the indication of a low fluid level and/or ablockage that would block the pump from directing fluid from the tankinto the PCE stack at the target flow rate. That is, the test mode issuspended and the notification is output based on a determination of alow fluid level via the level switch, a blockage via the clog switch, orboth. Suspension of the test mode may block the initial test and/or thehigh pressure test from being initiated. Further, the notification mayinform the user that the test mode is suspended. Thus, the user mayinspect the PCE test system and/or the PCE stack to address theindications and enable the pump to direct the tank into the PCE stack atthe target flow rate. As an example, the user may adjust the fluidconnection between the reservoir and the tank to increase the fluidlevel in the tank and/or to inspect the fluid connection between thetank and the pump to remove the blockage of the pump. In this manner,the user may place the PCE test system and/or the PCE stack in conditionto continue operation of the test mode.

If a determination is made that there is not at least one of either theindication of a low fluid level or a blockage, the operation of theinitial test may be enabled, as indicated at block 250. In someembodiments, a notification may be output to notify the user that theinitial test may be initiated without automatically starting the initialtest. As such, the initial test may not be initiated until the usertransmits a user input to initiate the test. In additional oralternative embodiments, the initial test may be automatically startedwithout the user input. In this way, after a determination is made thatthere is not at least one of either the indication of a low fluid levelor a blockage, the operation of the initial test may be initiatedwithout outputting the notification. In any case, if there is noindication of a low fluid level or a blockage, operation of the pump(e.g., of the drive, of the motor) may be enabled to direct the fluidfrom the tank into the test section of the PCE stack. It should be notedthat blocks 242, 244, and 246 may be carried out periodically,continuously, or in response to a request input by the user via the userinterface during the test mode. For example, the output of the levelswitch and/or the clog switch may be analyzed during the test mode(e.g., during the high pressure test), and then the test mode may eitherbe suspended and/or continued accordingly.

While the disclosure may be susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way ofexample in the drawings and have been described in detail herein.However, it should be noted that the disclosure is not intended to belimited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the disclosure is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the followingappended claims.

The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and appliedto material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature thatdemonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are notabstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claimsappended to the end of this specification contain one or more elementsdesignated as “means for [perform]ing [a function] . . . ” or “step for[perform]ing [a function] . . . ”, it is intended that such elements areto be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claimscontaining elements designated in any other manner, it is intended thatsuch elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

1. A test system for a pressure control equipment (PCE) stack, the testsystem comprising: a pump configured to direct fluid into the PCE stack;a drive configured to operate a motor of the pump to control a flow ofthe fluid directed into the PCE stack; and a control systemcommunicatively coupled to the drive and a sensor configured to transmitsensor data indicative of a pressure within the PCE stack, wherein thecontrol system is configured to perform operations comprising:instructing the drive to cause the pump to direct the fluid into the PCEstack until the sensor data indicates that the pressure within the PCEstack has reached a threshold pressure; outputting a control signal toblock the fluid from flowing between the pump and the PCE stack inresponse to receiving the sensor data that indicates that the pressurewithin the PCE stack has reached the threshold pressure; monitoring thepressure within the PCE stack over an interval of time based on thesensor data; and determining a condition of the PCE stack based on achange in the pressure within the PCE stack during the interval of time.2. The test system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configuredto perform operations comprising determining the PCE stack is not incondition for operation in response to determining a total pressure dropover the interval of time is above a threshold pressure drop, a rate ofpressure drop during the interval of time is above a threshold rate ofpressure drop, or both.
 3. The test system of claim 1, wherein thecontrol system is configured to perform operations comprising outputtinga report upon determining the condition of the PCE stack, and the reportcomprises the condition of the PCE stack, data indicative of thepressure within the PCE stack over the interval of time, or both.
 4. Thetest system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured toperform operations comprising: receiving an indication to reduce thepressure within the PCE stack; and instructing a valve to open andenable the fluid to be directed out of the PCE stack until the sensordata indicates that the pressure within the PCE stack is below anadditional threshold pressure.
 5. The test system of claim 4, whereinthe indication is received via a user input, additional sensor data, orboth.
 6. The test system of claim 1, wherein the threshold pressure, theinterval of time, a flow rate of the fluid directed by the pump into thePCE stack, or any combination thereof, are based on a user input, apredetermined setting, the sensor data, or any combination thereof. 7.The test system of claim 1, comprising an identification sensorcommunicatively coupled to the control system, wherein theidentification sensor is configured to transmit identification data tothe control system, the identification data is indicative ofcharacteristics of the PCE stack, and the control system is configuredto perform operations comprising setting the threshold pressure, theinterval of time, a flow rate of the fluid directed by the pump into thePCE stack, or any combination thereof, based on the identification data.8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executableinstructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, are configuredto cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:receiving sensor data indicative of a pressure within a pressure controlequipment (PCE) stack; instructing a drive to cause a pump to directfluid into the PCE stack until the sensor data indicates that thepressure within the PCE stack has reached a threshold pressure;suspending operation of the drive in response to receiving the sensordata that indicates that the pressure within the PCE stack has reachedthe threshold pressure; monitoring the pressure within the PCE stackover an interval of time based on the sensor data; and determiningwhether the PCE stack is in condition for operation based on a change inthe pressure within the PCE stack during the interval of time.
 9. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein theinstructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configuredto cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprisingdetermining the PCE stack is in condition for operation in response todetermining a total pressure drop over the interval of time is below athreshold pressure drop, a rate of pressure drop during the interval oftime is below a threshold rate of pressure drop, or both.
 10. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein theinstructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configuredto cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprisingoutputting a notification, a report, or both, based on determiningwhether the PCE stack is in condition for operation.
 11. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein theinstructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configuredto cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprisinginstructing the drive to operate based on a target flow rate of fluidinto the PCE stack, a specification of the PCE stack, the sensor data,or any combination thereof.
 12. The non-transitory computer readablemedium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by theprocessing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitryto perform operations comprising: determining whether a level switchindicates a low fluid level within a tank from which the pump receivesthe fluid; determining whether a clog switch indicates a blockage withina hydraulic system through which the pump directs the fluid; andsuspending operation of the drive in response to determining the levelswitch indicates the low fluid level, determining the clog switchindicates the blockage, or both.
 13. The non-transitory computerreadable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed bythe processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processingcircuitry to perform operations comprising instructing the drive tocause the pump to reduce a flow rate of the fluid directed into the PCEstack in response to receiving sensor data that indicates the pressurewithin the PCE stack is increasing.
 14. A test system for a pressurecontrol equipment (PCE) stack, the test system comprising: a pumpconfigured to direct fluid into the PCE stack; a drive configured tooperate a motor of the pump to control a flow of the fluid directed intothe PCE stack; and a control system communicatively coupled to the driveand a sensor configured to transmit sensor data indicative of a pressurewithin the PCE stack, wherein the control system is configured toperform operations comprising: receiving an indication to operate a highpressure test; instructing the drive to cause the pump to direct thefluid into the PCE stack until the sensor data indicates that thepressure within the PCE stack has reached a high threshold pressure inresponse to receiving the indication to operate the high pressure test;suspending operation of the drive in response to receiving the sensordata that indicates that the pressure within the PCE stack has reachedthe high threshold pressure; monitoring the pressure within the PCEstack over an interval of time based on the sensor data; and comparingthe pressure monitored within the PCE stack over the interval of timewith a pattern indicative of a condition of the PCE stack to determinewhether the PCE stack is in condition for operation.
 15. The test systemof claim 14, wherein the control system is configured to performoperations comprising determining a flow rate of fluid to be directedinto the PCE stack during the high pressure test and instructing thedrive to cause the pump to direct the fluid into the PCE stack at theflow rate of fluid.
 16. The test system of claim 15, wherein the controlsystem is configured to perform operations comprising dynamicallyupdating the flow rate of fluid during the high pressure test based onthe sensor data, additional sensor data, or both, and instructing thedrive to adjust the pump to direct the fluid into the PCE stack at theupdated flow rate of fluid.
 17. The test system of claim 15, wherein thecontrol system is configured to perform operations comprising: operatingan initial test to instruct the drive to cause the pump to direct thefluid into the PCE stack until the pressure within the PCE stack hasreached a low threshold pressure that is less than the high thresholdpressure; and monitoring the initial test to determine whether the highpressure test is to be performed, wherein the indication to operate thehigh pressure test is based on the monitoring of the initial test. 18.The test system of claim 17, wherein the control system is configured toperform operations comprising outputting a notification in response todetermining the high pressures test is not to be performed based on themonitoring of the initial test.
 19. The test system of claim 17, whereinthe control system is configured to perform operations comprising:receiving an indication to initiate the initial test; determiningwhether the test system, the PCE stack, or both, are in condition toinitiate the initial test; and operating the initial test in response todetermining the test system, the PCE stack, or both, are in condition toinitiate the initial test.
 20. The test system of claim 19, wherein thecontrol system is configured to perform operations comprisingdetermining whether the test system, the PCE stack, or both, are incondition to initiate the initial test by determining whether there issufficient fluid in a tank from which the pump receives the fluid basedon respective sensor data from a level switch, whether there is ablockage within a hydraulic system through which the pump directs thefluid based on respective sensor data from a clog switch, whethersealing elements are in respective configurations to seal a test sectionin the PCE stack, or any combination thereof.